A Late-Night Call
by jazzyproz
Summary: A tiny glimpse into a late-night/early-morning call between Booth and Brennan while they were still trying to map their paths back to each other. Currently a One-Shot; may or may not develop into a Two-Shot, we will see.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N **

**Hello there, long time no see! **

**I know, I know, it's been forever since I posted anything. **

**I have fired my Muse because she apparently decided the way she wanted to work was to simply not show up when expected… No employer tolerates that, least of all me. So, she's ancient history. **

**I found this new Muse on the side of the road, looking a little worse for wear, and decided I'd give her a try - clean her up a little, give her some walking shoes and access to my questionable typing and grammatical skills and I figured we'd see what she can do… **

**When I was reading the latest installment of "Need", by dgschneider (which, by the way, if you're not reading it, you SHOULD be!), I felt a little spark at something she wrote. It was dancing around my head for the past few days and while I was attending a music festival yesterday, this tale started weaving itself like a tiny little tapestry. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or its characters - just this story. **

"Brennan…." she groggily mumbled into her cell as she tried to untangle the bed sheets from her legs.

"I'm sorry I woke you, Bones…. I just…" His voice faded off into silence.

Instantly alert, Brennan shoved the blankets down with force. "Booth, are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm OK, Bones… I just…. I needed to hear your voice." He sounded small, insecure, scared.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, the scientist slipped into her moccasins without a second thought, and walked from her darkened bedroom, noting absently that the blaring green numbers on her alarm read 1:57.

"You had a nightmare." It was a statement, not a question. This was not something new, but it was something that hadn't happened for a long time. When the partners first started working together, becoming close friends in the process, it was not unusual for them to phone one another in the middle of the night after a particularly disturbing nightmare or following a hard-to-process case. Since their respective returns from the opposite ends of the earth, however, those calls were few and far between. Brennan did not feel right calling Booth, knowing he was living with Hannah and, she assumed that Booth didn't need to call her for the same reason - he had someone there for him when he awoke in a sheen of cold sweat, feeling his heart pounding while he tried to catch his breath.

But that started to change over the past several months - Booth was finally on his own, and the pair was slowly finding their way back towards each other. They were regaining what Booth called 'their mojo' and their solve rate started climbing once again. He spent more evenings at her place, just like before, showing up with take-out food and DVDs of movies she hadn't seen. For her part, Brennan had been also spending more time over at Booth's apartment trying to absorb the finer points of NHL hockey and its seemingly hostage-like-hold it had on her partner whenever the season rolled around.

Listening to his heavy breaths slowing, Brennan imagined Booth sitting with his forehead resting in his hand as he leaned forward in a seated position.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She was walking through her house in the dark. She went straight to the refrigerator and pulled something out, placing it into a canvas bag that she had sitting on her island.

"No…. I just…. I'm sorry, Bones. It's late, I shouldn't have called. I didn't even look at the clock before I dialed…. Sorry I woke you." His voice was gruff, parched from the strain of his nightmarish visions.

He needed a drink.

Pulling himself out of bed, Booth winced when his bare feet hit the cool wood floor, but he continued on his way, padding out to the bar and fisting his decanter in one hand while continuing to cradle the phone to his ear, listening to her muted movements on the other end, wondering what she was doing.

"I had a dream," she blurted out when she recognized his reluctance to speak of what he saw in his sleep. It was not unusual for Booth to take a little coaxing before he would tell her about his nightmares, she had learned that long ago. While Dr. Temperance Brennan was not an accomplished 'people-reader', she was fairly fluent in 'Booth-radar', and much to her surprise, she could often hear or see him calm whenever he was upset about something and she shared a story with him. In hind sight, she realized it stemmed from a bit of advice she had received from both Booth and Angela during an early case they'd worked. Both of her best friends had told her that sometimes you just need to offer up a little bit of yourself. Booth also used to tell her that partners share things... it helps build trust. It was no secret that the genius openly praised herself at being the 'smarter' partner, but she always took into account and words of advice that Booth offered, because he was clearly the better 'people-person', and she trusted him in the absolute sense. Brennan never considered herself to be very good at saying the right thing, but she always said what was on her mind, and Booth tended to appreciate that. In the background, behind his carefully guarded and limited conversation, Brennan could just make out the unmistakable, though gentle clink of the lip of the decanter meeting the edge of Booth's tumbler as he poured what she knew would be the rich amber liquid he drank when he just needed a quick unwind.

"Oh yeah?" Booth was grateful for the interception, but then felt his forehead crease in worry. "What about? Was it a bad dream? Bones, you should have called me." Immediately, he felt his protective nature for his partner erupt, despite the fact that _he_ called _her_, Booth was concerned now that she'd had a bad sleep as well.

"No, no, Booth. It wasn't a bad dream. It was just a dream…" She pulled on a sweatshirt, one sleeve at a time, then quickly maneuvered the cell away from her ear so she could pull the hoodie over her head. "You and I were at Founding Fathers, only it wasn't the Founding Fathers that we know… You know how, when you dream, you can be in places that you recognize, but they don't look anything like the real places?"

"Uh-huh," he responded. He sank into the sofa, listening to her deep alto timbre and letting her voice wash him in a sea of calm as he swirled the thick liquid in his glass, coating the inside with a quickly disappearing layer.

"It was like that… I know we were having a drink there, but it looked different." She threw her bag over her shoulder and moved to the front door, still moving in the dark - quietly, smoothly, without hesitation of what she was doing. "I think we were celebrating the end of a case, because you asked me where the Squints were, and why they weren't there yet."

Booth let his head fall back against the cool leather of the couch, resting his glass against his boxer-clad thigh. "They always come out to celebrate at the end of a case with us. It's our thing, Bones," he conversed with her, as if it would change the outcome of the dream she was recounting.

"Yes, I know that, Booth, but in my dream, they weren't there. It was just us. " She slid into her car and pulled the door closed quietly. "But we only missed them for a little while… we started talking about things...nothing important, just stuff. I asked you about Parker, and-"

"OH God! Sorry to interrupt, but you didn't forget about Parker's match, did you? He asked me to remind you and _dammit_, I forgot…" Booth gritted his teeth in aggravation that he forgot to confirm with his partner that she would be there… Parker had invited Brennan to come to his final Saturday game. She agreed at the time and suggested that maybe afterwards, the three of them could reconvene at the diner. But that conversation had been weeks ago and his final Fall Soccer Scrimmage was scheduled for later that day.

Smiling as she pulled onto the completely vacant street, she assured him. "No, of course not, Booth. Parker wrote it on my calendar in bright blue marker the last time he was in my office, so how could I forget?" She chuckled at the memory of the boy who looked so much like his father, and the enthusiasm he displayed when she agreed to meet them in the sports park that day.

Relaxing once again at the sound of her promising words and at the knowledge that his partner seemed to enjoy spending time with him and his son, Booth took a slow drink from his glass, letting the warm liquor burn his throat in a welcome and familiar feeling. "Thanks, Bones," he breathed into the phone in appreciation. "It means a lot to him… and to me."

Before the partners had run from each other, it was not unusual for the Anthropologist to meet the Booth boys at the Arlington Sports Complex to see the young boy play in whatever sport was in season. But since their strained return, she hadn't been with them for a while, and Booth found himself grateful on a deeply emotional level that she had agreed to attend.

"You don't need to thank me, Booth. I find that I miss seeing him play. And..." she hesitated for only a split moment. "And I miss being with _both_ of you - _together_…" She smiled at the almost-overwhelming warmth she experienced spreading through her chest, but quickly added a disclaimer. "But I don't want to intrude on your time with Parker, and I don't want to monopolize your day, so I'll just-"

He cut her off, not wanting her to set any time limits on their visit. "You're not intruding, Bones. We love spending time with you… You know how much Parker looks up to you." He could almost hear the shy smile spread across her perfectly shaped lips and Booth imagined the slow blush that had crept up her cheeks at the compliment. "We'll just see how the day goes, huh?"

"OK," her voice was hushed and the gratitude for his willingness to share time with her was evident.

"I guess I should let you go, Bones… I'm sorry I woke you up…" He didn't want to disconnect the call, but knew he should. It wasn't fair that he called her at 2am and kept her up simply because he had a nightmare. Especially if she was going to be over at the soccer field in less than 7 hours.

"But you didn't let me finish telling you about my dream, Booth…" She was searching for an excuse for him to let her keep talking… She needed to see him, needed to make sure he was OK. He was quite obviously shaken when he called her, and though he seemed to be better now, she wasn't willing to hang up just yet.

"Oh, um, there's more?" He grinned and settled back against the corner of the couch further, happy to simply listen to her voice. Happy that she wanted to talk to him.

"Of course," she said as she caught herself rolling her eyes. She mused momentarily, that she never rolled her eyes before she and Booth partnered, it was _his_ fault that she started to make such a childish gesture.

Chuckling at her tone, Booth downed the rest of his drink and placed his glass on the coffee table. "Alrighty, then, do tell…"

"Well, I asked you about Parker and after we discussed his school and his grades, I told you about the conversation I had with my Editor and the Publishing House about my latest book. Booth, they're not happy with the ending I wrote, so I had to turn-out another one…"

"Crank-out, Bones, you had to _crank-out_ another one, not _turn-out_. Is that your dream-world or are you talking about the real world now?" Booth was tired, feeling the calming effects of his partner's voice and soothing demeanor, he wasn't sure he was keeping up with her story.

"Well, it was in my dream, but it was from my real life… My editor really HATED what I did with the book… so did the Publisher. They refused to print it, because they said I was _sabotaging_ any possible future endeavors..."

Feeling defensive for his partner, he sat up straight. "What the hell, Bones? This is _your_ book, you should be able to write whatever the hell you want! Who do they think they are, telling you to re-write?!"

"They are the people _publishing_ it, Booth," she responded logically, "_and_ they are the people who pay my advances. They said that by killing Andy Lister, I-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait…. What? You killed off Andy? You can't do that! You can't kill me! I want to be in your future books, too!" He was standing up now, she had gotten his attention, even if she didn't want it.

"Booth…. you are _not_ Andy… Andy is a _fictional_ character... I don't know how many times I have to tell you this… But it's interesting, because this is _exactly_ how you reacted in my dream, too…"

"Of course this is how I'm going to react, Bones! I mean, c'mon, you're killing off my character… That's tough to take, Bones…How can you kill off Andy? He and Kathy are _finally_ getting closer to getting _together_. They're overcoming their differences… they're almost on the same page…"

"Booth, they are often featured on the same pages; most of their interactions are together, so naturally they're on the same page," she interrupted his rant, even though she knew _exactly_ what he was talking about.

"Metaphorically, Bones… the _metaphorical_ _page_…" He huffed in exasperation but then heard a small chuckle on the other end, followed by a muffled bell. "You knew _exactly_ what I meant, Temperance Brennan," he playfully chided while trying to make out the other noises in the background of her end of the call. "Are you watching TV, Bones? What's that noise?"

"No, I'm not watching TV yet, Booth."

He started to sit back again into the warm hole he'd made for himself on the couch when a knock at his door echoed through the otherwise silent apartment.

"What the hell?" Booth eyed the short hallway of his foyer.

"Booth?" Her voice was soft coming thru the phone.

"Uh, yeah, hang on, Bones. Somebody's knocking at my door at friggin' 2:15 in the morning…" He growled and pulled himself off the sofa and leant into the foyer. "Yeah? Who is it!?" He was only wearing the striped boxers that he'd pulled on to cover his nakedness when he decided to get a drink and rolled out of bed.

"Why don't you check, Booth?" She asked with a smile.

"_Because_, Bones," he grumbled into the phone, "it's fuckin' 2 in the morning… Who the hell is out banging on peoples' doors at this hour? Nothing good comes from strangers knocking on apartment doors at 2:15..."

Another knock. A little louder this time.

Stalking down the length of the short hall, Booth lowered his voice. "Hang on a sec, Bones," he tried to peek through the peep-hole, but it was covered by a finger. "Dammit," he whispered harshly, his words muffled as he pressed his face against the door, trying to see through the hole. "Whoever it is covered up the fucking peep-hole," he said, as he prepared to call out a few obscenities from his side of the closed door.

But then he heard it.

A tiny giggle.

In stereo.

And he bent forward to peek out again, just in time to see the finger lowering to reveal the beautiful smiling face of his partner.

"Bones…"

"Open the door, Booth. The hallway is creepy at this hour of the morning…" She felt foolish saying such a _'girlie'_ thing, but it was the truth - the partially lit hallway of the apartment building stop the liquor store _was_ creeping her out.

The agent swung the door open and stood there, slack jawed as he took in her appearance. She was wearing tight cotton leggings that stopped just below her knees and a much-too-big FBI sweatshirt which she had commandeered from his collection after they were caught in an unexpected downpour the previous week while on a case, and he chuckled absently seeing how it stopped mid-upper-thigh on her much-smaller frame. She had on well-worn leather moccasins without socks. Her hair was in braids, her face was free of all traces of makeup; her crystal clear eyes were laughing in time with her smile. It was clear to Booth that she had crawled out of bed when he called her and drove over to his apartment to be with him.

She was, in a word, beautiful.

Brennan took her time to study Booth as well. He was standing in front of her, holding the door open while dressed in just his boxers. The messy spikes of bed-tousled hair sticking out in all directions told her that while they'd been speaking, he had been unconsciously running his hand through his hair the way she had observed him doing for years whenever he was troubled. His chest and abdomen muscles were tight, and seemed to flex involuntarily when he opened the door and stared at her. He looked stunned to see her there and still held the phone up to his ear as he looked her up and down.

"Are you going to invite me in, Booth?" She smiled as she spoke into her cell.

"Yeah, of course, Bones," he answered in kind. "Sorry…"

She stepped into the entryway and turned to watch him lock the deadbolt once the door was closed again, blocking them from the outside world.

Meeting her face to face, Booth felt a smile trying to break free. "What are you doing here, Bones? It's really late…"

Still speaking into the phone, while standing in relative close proximity to him, Brennan felt a wave of giddiness wash over her, but contained it. "My partner had a bad dream and needed me… I felt like he needed me, anyway…" She let her words die down, suddenly uncertain if he really did need her.

He let the smile widen. "Thanks, Bones…" He shrugged then chuckled, "I guess we can hang up now, huh?"

"I suppose." She met his smile but made no move to lower her phone. "You called, so you hang up first."

"No, _you_ hang up first." He grinned.

"That's not how the game is played, Booth. You dialed, so _you_ have to end the call before I do…" She felt her cheeks grow warm and was certain they were turning pink. She didn't fully understand the feelings fluttering around in the pit of her stomach, but she knew she was enjoying being this close to her partner. She could smell his aftershave and the faint trace of his cologne, left-over from the workday, so she knew that he had come home late and likely went straight to bed without showering; their week had been pure hell, she couldn't have blamed him if that's what he did. She could see the laughing lines that had been carved into his handsomely chiseled face over the years. And she allowed herself just a fleeting moment to fantasize what it would be like to run her fingertips over the rough, pock-marked skin of his jawline, running her fingernails over the rough stubble of his facial hair...

Booth was, in a word, extraordinary.

"Yeah, ok. I can do that..." Booth said quietly as he lowered his phone with a soft laugh. He watched carefully as Brennan lowered her phone as well, and met her eyes with warm browns. "What are you doing here, Bones? I mean, really?"

Brennan reached into her bag and removed a container, holding it out to show her partner. "I was going to bring this to surprise you and Parks when I came for his game, but I thought," she shrugged, feeling suddenly shy. "I guess it's kind of crazy, really, it's too late for it now, but my immediate reaction when you called...was that...you needed...comforting…" She bit her lower lip, unsure about how to continue, feeling insecure in her hasty decision to come over at such an early hour, uninvited.

Her worries were instantly abated when she found herself engulfed in the bone-crushing embrace of her Booth. One of his arms circled her shoulders and the other found itself around her waist as he pulled her close, burying his face into her neck without further thought.

"Thanks, Bones… You always know exactly what I need." He smiled when he felt her arms slowly circle his torso. Then he jumped in surprise when the cool plastic of her offering pressed against the bare skin of his lower back. "Wh-hoa…..!" He straightened up, backing away quickly and suddenly realized that he was standing in his foyer, hugging his partner while wearing nothing but his underwear. "Hey, Bones, look - I'm uh… Look, that was cold… I'll just..." he twitched his head in the direction of his room, "I'm gonna just go put somethin' on…" His trademark crooked smirk broke free. "I'd love some of your mac-n-cheese, Bones. I don't care if it's 2 o'clock in the morning."

She smiled at his admission and nodded in appreciation. "OK. Go get dressed and I'll put some in the microwave for you."

B/B/B/B

Rushing back down the hall from his bedroom, Booth hastily pulled on his old Flyers t-shirt and stopped short when he looked into his kitchen. Standing with her back to him, Brennan spooned a generous helping of mac-n-cheese onto a small plate and moved over to the microwave. He studied her movements, admiring her body from the close distance. She had removed the over-sized sweatshirt when he went to change, leaving her in just the curve-hugging gray capris he'd admired earlier and a pale green _skimpy_ tank top; clearly her sleep clothes, and he felt his heart swell, along with a few other body parts, knowing how quickly she must have made the decision to come to his side when she felt that he needed her, though he never would've asked her to drive over at such an hour. He watched silently as she tilted her head in thought, staring at an empty bowl, obviously trying to decide if she was going to have some food with him or not.

Eager for her to stay, Booth rushed forward, sidling up beside her at the counter. "Eat with me, Bones. Please?" He raised an eyebrow in question, "I mean, there's enough here," he raised the tupperware bowl, "we can both have some and there'll still be some left for Parker..."

She smiled and turned to the brightly colored refrigerator and opened the door. "There is _plenty_ for you and Parker, I made a double batch… I know how much you both enjoy macaroni and cheese…" She pointed in a two additional containers that she'd stacked onto the sparsely-filled shelf, right next to an unopened half-gallon of MooCow Chocolate Milk and a few loose bottles of Pedialyte.

Booth looked at her, letting his eyes skip over her pale features, admiring the shape of her face - both soft and sharp simultaneously. "_Your_ mac-n-cheese, Bones...we enjoy **_your_ **mac-n-cheese…" He took a hesitant step forward, closing into her space ever so slightly. "You were gunna surprise us tomorrow with that? Really?"

With a gentle nod, she felt her stomach flip at the look he was giving her. "Yes. I decided to make it when I came home from work tonight… I wanted to make enough for you to have leftovers, I know you have Parker for the weekend plus the first part of the week…" She felt like she could get lost in his darkened eyes, she felt her breaths grow shallow as he leaned a micro-fraction closer.

"Bones, you were at work until 10:00… You made a double batch of mac _after_ you got home tonight?" He reached out and swept away a non-existent piece of hair from her cheek - any excuse to touch her...

"Yes," she whispered breathlessly, surprised at the pounding in her chest as her heart tried to break through her ribcage. The spot on her cheek where his fingertip just barely brushed felt like it was seared, leaving his mark on her. She fought against the desire to stretch up to her tip toes and press her lips to his.

"Stay for a while and eat with me, Bones." His molten chocolates pleaded with her, and she knew there was nothing she wouldn't do for him if he asked, so she simply nodded, as if in a trance.

"Alright." She took a deep breath and blinked, breaking her hypnotic state. "But only a little bit. I had a sampling after I took it out of the oven tonight, so I shouldn't each much." Brennan was certain she'd said the right thing, because she saw his face light up as he let out a small laugh of relief.

"Awesome. I have some wine in there," he nodded to the fridge, "laying on the bottom shelf."

The scientist knew that meant her partner intended to spoon out what he would deem to be her portion of their late night treat (which, from experience, she knew would inevitably be too much, resulting in enough left in her bowl that he'd finish it), while she poured the wine.

"Don't give me too much, Booth," she turned with a smile to the refrigerator once more, knowing full well that he would do what he always did. But if she didn't balk at least a little bit, it simply wouldn't _feel_ right.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled over his shoulder as he dumped a second heaping spoonful of the most amazing pasta dish in the world into his partner's bowl, then topped it off with a generous almost-heaping third scoop. "Whatever you don't finish, I will, Bones. Don't worry," he smiled, "I won't let it go to waste."

Brennan huffed in laughter and moved over to the small two-person bar-style table that was tucked against the wall of Booth's intimate kitchen. After their wine glasses were in place, she turned and collected silverware and napkins, momentarily noting the extreme domesticity of their current situation. She paused when she felt his eyes boring into the back of her head, and she turned to look at him.

He narrowed his eyes at her while waiting for the microwave to do its magic. "Why did you kill off Andy?"

She swallowed thickly, cursing herself for telling him about it in the first place. She knew, though, that he wouldn't let the subject rest until she fessed up. "Because," she began slowly, warily. "Kathy ruined her chances with Andy during an argument in the beginning of this book. She said _horrible_ things to him… things that were... _unforgivable_…"

"No she didn't," his reply was immediate and certain, regardless of the fact he had not yet read the debate.

"Booth, you haven't read it! You don't _know_! No matter how creatively I write, he is not going to forgive her - he _can't_ forgive her. She was awful to him…" She looked down at her hands and watched as she wrung her own fingers. "She turned him down. She hurt him terribly." She swallowed and bit her lip. "I don't know how to fix it, so I had him get shot in the last chapter."

"He forgives her, Bones. Plain and simple. You don't need to spin some whack-job tale to make your readers believe it. _Everyone_ wants them together, they _love_ each other." He nodded in affirmation, his voice was soft but firm, his message crystal clear if she would just let herself listen. "If she can forgive him for all the crap he put her through during that last book, he can certainly forgive her words - I mean, it was an argument, right? I'm sure they were just words, spoken in the heat of an emotional moment."

"Kathy is not emotional, Booth. She's _logical_." Brennan didn't understand the raw feeling that was tearing through her gut, through her chest, causing her heart rate to increase.

He moved over to stand in front of her and placed his hands on her biceps, waiting for her to raise her eyes to his. In the split moment before she met his gaze, he let the heat of her oh-so-soft skin travel through his calloused palms and up his arms. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before meeting her questioning blue/greens.

"Kathy is a warm, loving, beautiful person, Bones. And _wonderfully_ emotional. And Andy knows that better than anyone."

"Do you really believe that, Booth?"

"I _know_ it to be true, Bones. He's lucky to have her in his life." His tongue darted out to wet his lips nervously before continuing softly. "He's _so_ lucky, Bones..."

She flushed at the revelation unveiled to her, feeling her knees grow weak, but stayed silent, unsure of how to proceed.

Booth smiled, a truly appreciative and genuine smile. "I'm so glad you're here, Bones."

The logical, rational and analytical scientist shrugged gently, tilting her head and feeling particularly whimsical and _undeniably wanted_. "It's where I belong, Booth. Where else would I be?"

**Postscript A/N**

**So, there you have it. **

**I don't think it's any great secret that I love the time period when Booth & Brennan were trying to find their paths back to each other. This was just a little glimpse at our favorite duo doing just that. I haven't decided if I am going to leave this as a stand-alone One Shot or wrap it neatly with a bow after writing a second chapter - I guess that will sort of depend on the type of feedback I get. **

**For now, I am not marking it 'Complete', but I'm not making any promises, either. In all honesty, I need to get my head back in gear for my other 2 multi-chapter pieces, but I was hoping this little diversion would do the trick. **

**Please let me know what you thought, I'd love to hear from you. **

**peace & love my friends, **

**jazzyproz**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hello and welcome back! **

**By popular demand, and in order to avoid possible life threats, I have agreed to post another chapter to this little blurb that came to me out of the blue a couple of weeks ago. I've been working in excess of 60 hours a week at my normal job, so haven't had much time to write, but I promise, yes I PROMISE, that I have not given up on my other pieces. Today was the first time I've had to sit and write, and I'm also working on my next chapter of DPO. **

**Anyway, let's rejoin Booth and Brennan for their late night/early morning conversation. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or it's characters. Just this story!**

Their post-midnight snack was consumed in amicable intimacy. Rather than sitting across from each other, as the table had been set, Booth scooted Brennan's chair around to his immediate left, so she was closer. To her credit, she didn't question him on the rearrangement, but smiled gently and slipped onto her barstool instead.

"Perfection, Bones," Booth crooned as he refilled their glasses with the quickly disappearing wine. "As always, it tastes amazing."

Only able to finish about half of her serving, Brennan smirked and slowly pushed her bowl towards her partner, knowing he had planned it that way. "I am glad that you enjoy it, Booth. Angela told me that I should think about marketing the recipe. She thinks that others would enjoy it as well."

The agent met her eyes with a look of shock, almost choking on his oversized spoonful of macaroni. "No, Bones, you can't… I mean…" he swallowed quickly, "I guess you _could_, but it's not like you _need _the cash…" he shrugged as he forked another mouthful. "It's just…" he mumbled, knowing all-too-well that he shouldn't talk with his mouth full, but trying desperately to think of a rational argument on why she couldn't sell her recipe… _Their _recipe… "Well, you see, Bones… I think… well…" He stuttered and shrugged, failing to think of anything even resembling logic that he could present to her.

"_You_ like my recipe, Booth," she started to argue, not understanding why he wouldn't want others to experience the apparent joy of tasting the blend of flavors she used.

"I don't just _like _it, Bones, I _love _it…I told you before that I'd like to be alone with it…" he smirked at the memory but then came back to reality. "It's the best macaroni and cheese I've ever eaten… But, I dunno…." he pinched his face in resignation, knowing she would do whatever she wanted anyway - he wondered why he ever bothered to argue with her on anything…

"Do you think of it as one of _our _things, Booth? Like what's ours is ours?" Brennan's question was open and honest and not at all accusatory. She genuinely wanted to understand his reluctance to the notion of sharing her formula.

Booth couldn't help the little smirk that tweaked the corners of his lips. "Yeah, kinda. I mean, you cook it for me when I'm feeling bad, or when you wanna surprise me and Parks… It feels... _special_."

She didn't hesitate. "OK. I won't sell it, then."

Raising an eyebrow, he met her eyes with dumbfounded appreciation. "Really?"

"Yes. What's ours is ours, Booth. And if you think of this as _ours_, then I do ,too." She smiled and accepted his gesture when he placed his large, warm hand atop both of her folded ones where they rested in front of her. "Though," she tagged on a quick disclaimer, "you will have to accept that I will, on occasion, cook it for our friends, too. Angela confessed that she is a big fan of the combination of cheeses that I use, in addition to some of the more obscure spices I mix in."

She tried to ignore the spark of electricity she felt coursing through her body at the mere touch of his roughened palm against her cool fingers. The scientist-within mentally recounted the chemical synapses that were releasing neurons throughout her brain, sending further combinations of neurological messages to other parts of her body and undoubtedly causing the end result of the warm flushed feeling that she was sure was visible by the reddening of her cheeks. She lectured herself silently that what she was experiencing was nothing more than biological and physiological reactions to the stimuli put forth by the feeling of another human's touch, mixed with the euphoric sensations that often occur when a woman picks up on specific pheromones emitted from a person to whom she is physically attracted.

But the _woman-_within immediately and unexpectedly discounted the non-verbal science lessons, and she just let herself _feel_. Temperance Brennan allowed a hesitant and adoring smile to spread across her lips as she stared into the deep brown irises that gazed back at her. She felt a swell in her chest and an inexplicable lump in her throat. And for the first time in her adult life, she let herself seriously contemplate what it would be like to spend the rest of her life with just one person, staring into the same warm eyes day after day, and she wondered if Booth would ever look at her in the same way.

Booth wrapped his thick fingers around her hands and squeezed. "Thanks, Bones. That means a lot…" He held her gaze for several moments before his eyes, as if they had minds of their own, flicked down to her lips then quickly back up to her pale oceans. The smile she was giving him seared itself into his brain and he was certain he was grinning like a fool, but he didn't care. He only cared that she respected his opinion, no matter how selfish his intentions, and more importantly, she didn't pull away from his touch. In fact, he thought that she might be receptive to a tiny thumb stroke against the porcelain-like skin beneath the pads of his fingers, so he swiped back and forth once, and only once, testing her reaction.

Not wanting to allow her much time to think about his caress, he stumbled to keep talking, but didn't release his hold. "I don't mind sharing Our Recipe with our friends, Bones. I just don't want, y'know, strangers to enjoy what you make… They already get your books, they get your interviews and author-signings… Let 'em get their own mac 'n cheese…"

Booth could tell his touch affected his partner, her face had suddenly flushed and she flicked her eyes briefly down to where his hand covered hers before she met his gaze again. The agent-inside recognized her expression as nervousness, but he noted mentally that she didn't appear to be on the verge of panic just yet. All he could do was hope that his action was not entirely unwelcome. When she spread her fingers slightly, allowing him to weave his in between, he did what came naturally and tightened ever so slightly as he refocused his attention on the now-almost-empty bowl in front of him.

Brennan watched in silence as the best man she'd ever met enjoyed the last mouthful of her late-night/early-morning offering, and she smiled in satisfaction that she had been able to please him with the surprise. When he dropped the spoon unceremoniously back into the bowl, she slipped her lower hand out from beneath the jumble of fingers and took a slow sip of wine as Booth finished his glass. She was surprised to find herself content to simply sit and enjoy the sensation of her best friend's touch, he roughness of his calloused palm felt perfect against her sensitive skin, and she was suddenly happy that she always stuck to her evening routine of using aloe-and-cocoa-butter-enriched lotion before bed. Many years ago the scientist had come to learn that by washing her hands so often during the course of a day, her skin became very dry. So, she started using lotion on a nightly basis and had done so ever since.

Eyeing him over the rim of her wineglass, Brennan nodded in agreement to having her beverage refreshed after he refilled his, which effectively finished off the contents of the bottle. She let her thumb slide along the length of his pinky finger, where it was tucked into her grip from above and she watched him watching their hands with intense focus.

"Are you going to tell me about your dream, Booth?" Her voice was soft and the huskiness of early morning mixed with what he knew was her favorite wine, sent a shiver down Booth's spine.

He tilted his head and met her clear blue-green eyes, and it was all he could do to not lean over and claim her lips with his. "Nah… it doesn't matter, Bones. It was just a dream, y'know?"

"It must have been a very powerful, _and upsetting _dream, Booth, to have caused you to reach blindly for your phone and call me without first considering what time it was." Her statement was brutally true and he felt immediately sorry for bothering her.

"I'm sorry, Bones. I should've been more considerate…" He dropped his focus back to their joined hands where they rested on the tabletop in front of his partner. His thumb moved as if by a force of its own, caressing the silky skin along the outer edge of her hand.

"I'm not upset that you called. Quite the contrary, actually - I would rather you call than sit by yourself in the dark, thinking about what you saw." She smiled softly when he raised his eyes to hers once more. She could see the relief he felt. "But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I would like to understand what had you so upset. And you know I don't like to lie."

After contemplating her request for several moments, Booth nodded slowly. "OK. First let me put these dishes in the dishwasher. Then we can go sit for a bit." He jerked his chin in the direction of the living room, indicating where he'd be more comfortable talking. "That is, if you want to. I don't want to keep you out all night, Bones. We can always talk more tomorrow if you'd rather."

"No. I'd much rather talk tonight. Even if I went home right now, I wouldn't sleep because I'd be thinking and worrying about you." She started to rise from her seat and reluctantly released his hand as she slid hers out from under his loose grip. "I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

He nodded and watched her walk away, letting his eyes travel the length of her perfect figure. Once she was out of sight, he sighed deeply and wondered to himself what the hell he was thinking when he reached out and took her hand just moments before. He missed the contact already and chastised himself that he was being a fool. They hadn't discussed furthering their relationship, but something in Booth's gut told him they were going to start heading that way if they weren't careful. Not that he really wanted to play it safe...he was tiring quickly of that game.

When Brennan walked down the short hall towards the living room, she noticed that her partner had relocated their drinks to the coffee table. She smiled when she found him leaning against the wall, looking out the narrow window tucked into the corner of the room. She took a moment to admire his physique. His dark shirt was snug, like a second layer of skin, and she could make out the lines of his musculature, much to her enjoyment. He wore light gray sweatpants, low on his hips and she couldn't help but wonder, with a heated blush creeping up her neck and filling her cheeks, if he kept his boxers on beneath the pants or if he opted to go 'commando', as she had heard the term used in conversations with Angela.

Feeling her presence rather than hearing her enter the room, Booth remained propped against the wall, but turned his attention in her direction. He smiled and invited her to join him with a single jerk of his head. The fact that she same willingly and without question made his heart swell, and he knew they were moving closer to where he wanted to be.

"What are you looking at?" Her question was quiet, as if she didn't want to disturb the peace in the room.

Booth instinctively reached out and took her hand, tugging gently so she would stand between himself and the window as he nodded in the far distance. He kept hold of her hand and pulled her body so her back was against his torso. Only fleetingly did he mentally question his own movements, but he pushed those thoughts from his mind and did what felt natural. Now holding both of her hands straight down to her sides, he spoke quietly against the her hair as they both looked outside.

"Sometimes when I can't sleep, I just lean here and look. I love seeing it all lit up in the distance. It's very calming, I think."

Brennan tilted her head slightly and saw to what he was referring. Several miles away, like a beacon in the night, the Washington Monument stood tall and proud, brightly lit by nearly 150 LED lights so that anyone within a 30 or 40 mile radius would be able to see its grandeur in the night. It was obvious that the rest of the mall was lit up similarly, by the glowing aura surrounding the lower edge of their view, but it was the 500-foot Monument that filled their vision.

Brennan relaxed her body against the sturdy frame behind her and tightened her grip on their interwoven fingers. "It looks beautiful," her words were breathy and hushed, like she was afraid to break a spell that she didn't understand. "I'm almost ashamed to admit this, Booth, but I have never stood and just looked at it like this - from a distance at night…." She let her head fall back against his shoulder and stifled a sigh when he rested his cheek against her temple.

"Sometimes," he began, his voice husky, "it helps to remind me what I'm fighting for. Not just now, with the FBI, but when I was in the service, too. And everyone, really… military and civilian… Because for everything that is wrong with this country, there is so much _more _that is right… And sometimes, when I can't sleep, I just stand here and look...and it helps give me the strength to face another day of horrific crimes and grisly death."

They remained standing like that for several moments, each silently lost in their own separate thoughts, but together. Their breathing patterns unconsciously synched and they each started moving their thumbs against the skin they were touching. Soon, fingers that were entwined untangled from themselves and their hands danced with one another's, caressing and moving.

Booth was focused on how soft and smooth her skin was beneath his. Her hands were small but surprisingly strong, and capable of delivering one hell of a punch when driven to extremes. 'Dainty' is the word that came to mind, though he would never voice his opinion of her hands as being such, lest he be on the receiving end of one of those punches.

Brennan concentrated on the rough, calloused indicators of a man who'd held guns his entire adult life. His thick fingers were sturdy, strong, and protective, like the man to whom they belonged. She felt a lump in her throat knowing the damage that could be done with his hands alone, she had seen it several times with her own eyes, often times when he was protecting _her. _Yet the tenderness she was feeling from him right now was almost overwhelming.

"You took your braids out," he spoke against the side of her head, thinking about the loose, wavy hair that rested on her shoulders when she came to join him in the living room. When he saw her standing there at the mouth of his hallway, in her tights and tanktop, hair falling down and her face free of makeup, he started counting the Saints. He had to catch his breath before he could talk, which is why he had only given her a non-verbal invitation to join him.

Fighting off a shiver caused by his soft breath against her ear, Brennan smiled. "I didn't look in the mirror before I came over here…" She huffed a laugh, "I didn't realize, until I went into the bathroom, how ridiculous I looked…" The anthropologist felt her partner smile against the side of her head and she knew he would respond to the contrary - she knew her partner well.

"I thought you looked cute… Adorable, even…"

She nudged him humorously and tightened her hands around his again. "I am not '_cute'_, Booth. Nor am I '_adorable'_. I think you need more sleep."

Her tone was playfully indignant, but he could hear the smile in her words. He said nothing more on the topic and waited to see where she would take the conversation next. He didn't have to wait long.

"Are you going to tell me about it, Booth?" As if she knew he would try to pull away at the serious turn of topic, she pressed herself further back against him and tilted her head towards his neck instead of the outward turn to his shoulder, as she had been standing.

Taking several quiet moments to process her request, Booth sighed in resignation, knowing she wouldn't let him off the hook. He began to tell his story…

"You went off on a dig. I don't know what country, but wherever it was, I was worried about it before you left. You kept telling me that the security was going to be good - military guards as well as local police. The whole shebang." He swallowed thickly before continuing. "We talked a couple of days after you got there. I wasn't able to call you, but you called me. You said everything was in order the way it was supposed to be and that your team wasn't seeing any of the civil unrest that had been in the news… We made arrangements that you would call again in 3 days, but you never did. And then I still didn't hear from you on the 4th or 5th days... But on the 6th day, I got a call from an unknown number, late at night, and immediately I breathed in relief, knowing it must've been you. When I answered it, though, it wasn't." He tightened his grip on her fingers and didn't resist when she moved in response to his action, repositioning them so his arms were circling her waist from behind as she still grasped his hands. "Instead, it was a representative from the US Consulate in whatever fucked-up country you were in, requesting my presence as your Emergency Contact…." He absently dropped a kiss above her ear. "They needed me to identify your body...They needed me to come determine which body was yours, because your whole team had been ambushed at night...brutally...there were no survivors…"

Releasing his hands, Brennan turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his midriff, folding herself into him. He continued.

"I woke up tonight to my cell phone ringing, and when I grabbed it, it said 'Missed Call: Unknown', and all I could think of was that call I got in my dream, from the unknown number… I had to call you, Bones… I had to hear your voice… I know it doesn't make sense, it was just a dream and that missed call was probably just a wrong number… but…I..." The lump in his throat grew to the size of a watermelon and he couldn't speak. All he could do was hold her tight. All he could focus on was how she felt pressed against him, how she smelled as the fragrance of her barely damp hair filled his senses, and how she was clinging to him just as fiercely.

They stayed like that for several minutes - holding tight, breathing each other in, flexing fingers. Finally Brennan quietly broke the silence.

"That settles it, then… The next dig I attend, you will have to accompany me, Booth."

"Don't tempt me, Bones." His voice was rough, his throat dry from recounting the nightmare. He spread his hands wide, covering most of her back and touching the silky skin of her shoulder blades with two of his fingers.

She pulled back only slightly, just enough to raise her face to look at him. "I'm being serious, Booth." She gripped the back waistline of his T-shirt tightly in her fist. "I was asked to make a 2-week appearance at a dig in Southern Mexico next month. I haven't given them an answer yet, but if I choose to go, I had already considered asking you to come down towards the end of my time there, and meet me. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the country. It would be my treat, of course, because I was going to ask...But perhaps, if you would like to come along for the duration, you might find that you're interested in the findings. The purpose of my presence there is not to do the actual digging, but to analyse some of what has been unearthed…"

Dark chocolate orbs searched her face for any signs of insincerity or patronization, though he subconsciously knew he would find none. Temperance Brennan didn't make offers unless she meant them. And above all, she didn't lie - not to him - and therefore, he knew she had already thought about discussing this very topic with him. He smiled and met her eager gaze.

"Get me those dates and I'll get clearance from Cullen to take the time off. I haven't taken vacation time in over a year, so, it shouldn't be an issue."

Brennan's face lit up with excitement. "You'll come? Really?"

"If you want me there, then I'll be there."

She threw herself harder into his chest, tightening her already-vice-like grip around his waist and pressing her forehead into the side of his neck. Booth simply held her tighter, content to stay like this for as long as she'd let them.

"Booth?" She sounded hesitant, vulnerable.

"Hmm?" He inhaled slowly, intoxicating himself on her unique scent.

"Are you still angry with me?"

Knowing to what she was referring, and realizing that she had misinterpreted his relationship anger as being solely directed towards her, Booth felt his stomach drop like a lead ball. "Bones," he slid his palm up and cupped her neck, holding her in place against him. "I was never angry at _you_. I was angry at myself...I'm sorry that I took it out on you…" He pressed his lips to the side of her head. "And no, I'm not angry anymore…"

She nuzzled against him when she felt the kiss and tried to understand the fluttering feeling in her abdomen.

"Do you still feel imperilous?" He smirked, knowing he misspoke. "Or imperious?" He feigned confusion, knowing all too well that she was, indeed, _imperious_, though he no longer called her out on it.

"_Impervious_, Booth," she corrected with a tiny smile. "Imperilous isn't a word and imperious means arrogant." Some things will never change, she thought happily, and then she grew serious. "And, no. I haven't felt that way in a long time… Not around you."

"Good," he whispered.

"Do you…." she swallowed slowly. "Do you think it would be detrimental to our partnership and friendship if we explored the possible realm of a more personal relationship, Booth?"

"I think it would be _extremely _detrimental, Bones," he spoke slowly, but felt her tense at this first portion of his thoughts, so he quickly continued, "if we _don't _take our relationship to the next level." He craned his head and looked down at her, feeling her posture ease as his words sank in and she looked up to meet his gaze with crystal clear eyes. His gut had been right, he pondered as he searched her face, the conversation went in exactly the direction he had thought, _and hoped_. "You know I've cared about you for a long time, Bones, that's no secret. Even when I tried to stop loving you, I couldn't."

She felt the sting behind her eyes at his blatant admission. He hadn't said the actual words before, not even that fateful night on the steps of the Hoover, though she should have expected them.

"You love me?"

Realizing the phrase had spilled out involuntarily, all he could do was grin and nod. "Yeah. I do, Bones. But you don't have to say anything, I know you don't believe in love as-such. But I do, and I've felt that way for a long time."

She saw only honesty staring back and felt utter devotion enveloping her. "I never believed in love, because no one ever proved to me that it existed. The textbooks all say the feelings are merely chemical reactions in the brain and most of the periodicals that Angela insists that I peruse all indicate that the euphoric feelings that couples experience are fleeting, at best."

"Your textbooks are wrong, Bones, and _don't _listen to Angela - stop reading Cosmopolitan and Glamour magazines, you don't need to fill your mind with that crap. Love is a real emotion, and if you'll let me, if you're seriously interested in taking a chance on a _proper _relationship, I will do everything in my power to prove to you that it exists."

She smiled at his declaration and his promise. "You already have, Booth. You have proven it to me time and again. I know you love me, I was just surprised at hearing you say it. Good-surprised, though, because it came out so naturally."

The smile on his handsome face widened and he was about to declare it once again, just to be able to say it aloud, but she cut his words off.

"I love you, too, Booth. I find that my life seems to have a different meaning when you're in it. And I don't like it as much when you're not."

"That's good to know, Bones," he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers lightly. "And it's _great _to hear."

Feeling his mouth descend onto hers, claiming her lips completely, was a sensation that she'd been longing to experience for a long time. And his kiss was just as she'd remembered - strong and soft at the same time, spicy and sweet and Boothy. She succumbed to his dominance and allowed him to take the lead, fisting his shirt as she pressed against him. She swallowed his groan and whimpered in response, noting only momentarily that no man ever made her _whimper… _Usually she was the assertive one; typically she controlled the pace at which she and a lover kissed or caressed or whatever came next. But she was content to let Booth take the lead, because she trusted him explicitly, and knew he would not steer her wrong.

He felt it the moment she let go, he could sense her willingness to allow him to display the alpha-tendencies that she was always giving him a hard time about. But in that moment, he knew that she respected his needs and understood his desires and even more, that she trusted him. That one simple fact was all it took to nearly push him over the edge of reason as he turned their bodies and pressed her against the wall he'd been using for support.

She trusted him.

Completely.

He had proven himself worthy to her, enough so that she was submitting to him.

He thought his brain was going to explode in time with his racing heart. His body was, naturally, responding to her soft willingness and he fisted a mess of hair, tilting her head further to the right as he moved from her lips and traced the straight edge of her jaw with wet, open kisses. Finally reaching her perfect earlobe, he sucked it into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. Her skin was delicious...creamy and smooth and everything that was right in the world. Her body molded to his as he sandwiched her against the wall and suddenly, as if he'd felt the sting of fire, he thrusted against her when her hand slipped beneath the hem of his t-shirt and stroked the lower portion of his bare back.

The hand that wasn't controlling the movement of her head slid down from the small of her back and cupped the curvy swell of her ass, pulling her impossibly closer as he ground his almost-painful erection against her lower stomach, showing her exactly what kind of effect she had on him. He scraped the smooth edges of his teeth against her neck and suckled when he found that perfect sweet spot where her long neck met her shoulder, and though he knew it was wrong, he felt a deep desire to mark her...to _claim _her as his… He would never openly admit his need to own her, because he knew she would kick his ass for even thinking it, but it didn't stop him from sucking hard, pulling her pliant skin into the warmth of his mouth and knowingly drawing blood to the surface until he was satisfied on some deep primal level that her porcelain, gently-freckled skin finally bore his mark. He knew he should be ashamed, but he wasn't. He was too turned-on to feel anything other than the raw need that was crying to be satisfied.

Booth's body surged and Brennan's responded as she raised one limber leg up and hooked it around his hip. The movement altered the pressure point where Booth was grinding and opened herself for stimulation against his impressive size. He hit the spot perfectly and she nearly came immediately, holding back only because she wanted to make this last as long as possible. She felt light-headed and aroused and everything in between. Booth was telling her she was beautiful, and brilliant, and like heaven on earth, and if she was one to believe in heaven, his conviction would have had her convinced that he was telling the truth. She didn't argue the point, however, she simply let him praise her however he saw fit and in between, she confessed to him that this was what she'd been wanting for a long time. And that she loved seeing him in his casual clothes like this, because his body was very appealing to her. And that, even though she balked at his constant need to protect her, she loved how safe she felt whenever he was near, and how precious he made her feel, and how much she loved him…

At her last acknowledgement, Booth eased his frenzy and brought his hands up to cradle her gorgeous face. "I never thought I'd hear you say that, Bones. But my God, it sounds even more beautiful coming from your lips than it ever did in my dreams…" He pressed a kiss to her mouth and slid his tongue in smoothly, relishing in the taste and feel of her.

As things started heating up once more, Booth's hips swiveled against Brennan's and she brought her other leg up to hook around his narrow hips, allowing his stature to support her body against the wall. He could feel the heat radiating from the point where her thighs met the rest of her body as she pressed against his stomach. He brought his hands from her jawline to cup the swells of her thighs, holding her firmly in place.

The fog of lust controlling his brain was stirred into clearance by a loud rap at the door that he wanted to ignore, figuring it was just a bad dream - no one would be knocking at his door at this hour… Well, there was one person who would do that, but she was currently pinned between himself and his back living room wall, grinding her heated, moist core against his throbbing hard-on. A second knock, louder this time, brought them both back into reality and they froze, breathing hard and desperately trying to catch their bearings.

"Who could that be, Booth?"

He shook his head, still not able to verbalize any coherent thoughts; all the blood in his body was still centralized in his raging cock. "I dunno," he breathed.

He gently lowered her legs until her feet were touching the floor and she nodded in silent agreement that she was alright to stand while he checked on their uninvited interruption. Backing away slowly, a third, more angry knock echoed through the tiny apartment.

"Yeah! Hold on!" He called over his shoulder as he tried to help straighten her disheveled tank. "I'll be right back. Let me see what's going on…" He eyed her cautiously, hoping to God that she wouldn't metaphorically pack her bag to leave as soon as he let go.

She nodded, "OK. I'll be over there, on the couch…" The scientist smiled when she saw the obvious relief in her partner's eyes. "We still have wine to drink…"

Booth flashed her a crooked smile then trotted to the entryway, glancing at the clock as he passed his entertainment center: 3:34 am.

_Who the hell?_ he wondered to himself.

Looking through the peephole, Booth saw his ex holding their sleeping son against her chest and quickly opened the door. "Becks, what's going on?" He reached out and relieved the smaller woman from the weight he knew was quite heavy when Parker was asleep.

"Didn't you get my message?" She questioned him, assuming all his lights were on because he was awaiting their arrival.

"No," he looked at her in confusion, wondering what was happening.

"I called you over an hour ago, Seeley. Drew's dad was taken to the hospital with severe chest pains and became unresponsive shortly after the ambulance picked him up. We're flying up there, heading to the airport now. I left you a message and when I called right back, if went straight to your voicemail, so I assumed you were listening to it…"

Booth searched his ex's face and saw genuine concern and fear for her fiance's family. "No, I'm sorry Rebecca, I didn't hear a message. I saw that I had a missed call, but the number was unknown, but I didn't listen to my messages…" He looked down at his slightly awake son as the boy blinked against the light overhead. "Hey buddy," he kissed his forehead, "you wanna go ahead into bed? I'll be in to tuck you in after your mom and I talk."

The sleepy eleven-year-old nodded and wiggled to get down. He was happy that his dad was strong enough to hold him, but in reality, when the boy was awake, he hated being carried - he knew that as almost a pre-teen, he should not need to be held by his parents, even if he was a small kid. He let his mom kiss his cheek and then staggered down the short entry hallway, leaving the adult to speak in private.

"It was an unknown number, because it was Drew's new phone… his number was stolen, so he had to get a new one the day before yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't call you on my own phone, we've been a little out of sorts since we got the call shortly after 1:00. Are you ok to bring Parker to the game? You are still going, aren't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine. Of course we're still going." Without even realizing he'd done it, Booth automatically included Brennan's presence at his son's game as a given. "Bones had it marked on her calendar and we talked about it a little while ago…"

Narrowing her gaze just slightly, Rebecca internally debated questioning her ex, but had to address other more important matters first. "I know you were only planning to have Parker til Wednesday, but do you think you can plan to have him at least a week? I don't know how long we'll be up there, it all depends on what's happening with Drew's dad…"

"Becks, I told you before that I will keep Parker as often as possible for as long as you'll let me. And I've been working hard to be a good Dad...I always put Parker first..." Booth's biggest fear was that Rebecca would take Parker away from him, especially now that she was engaged to be married. Drew was a good guy, Booth knew that, but it didn't change the fact that _he _was Parker's father, and he worried that he might lose his time with the boy.

Seeing the honest fear on his face, Rebecca reached out and touched his arm. "Seeley, you're a great father and Parker loves you. Don't worry so much… I've been trying to make it so you have more time with him; I just wanted to make sure that you'd be OK with it, because it's so last minute - like literally last-minute…"

"I'm fine with it. More than fine, in fact." He looked at his ex and smiled sadly. "Tell Drew that I hope things are OK with his dad and give the family my best."

She looked at the man standing before her and in that instant realized that there was something changed about him. Since coming back from the war, his life had been in upheaval and his appearance had reflected as such. Once Hannah moved out, he was slowly becoming the man he was before, but even up through the previous week when she'd spoken with him at a parent/teacher meeting, his eyes had been strained. She saw him now, with clear, bright eyes, fully awake despite the hour, though he hadn't been expecting them. He was fully dressed, even though she had intimate knowledge that, unless there was no heat in the apartment and it was below zero outside, Seeley Booth never slept in clothes. The Seeley Booth she knew slept naked every chance he had, and most often would hang around his apartment wearing nothing more than boxers, _if_ those. Then she processed what she saw downstairs… A little blue sportscar parked in his guest spot, which was typically empty since the departure of the journalist; flushed cheeks on a normally-composed agent; slightly swollen lips indicative that he'd been participating in some pretty heavy petting.

"Oh, God… I interrupted you guys…" She blurted out the words before she could stop.

"What?"

She may not be a detective, but she wasn't an idiot. Besides, it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell that the father of her child was in love with his partner. The very same partner whose car was parked downstairs. At three-in-the-morning.

"Dr. Brennan is here, isn't she?"

Knowing that technically Rebecca had a right to know who else was in the house where their son was, Booth resigned to speaking up. Even though he would have liked to've kept what was _theirs _sacred for a while, he knew that he had to be upfront with Rebecca, if only for Parker's sake.

"Yeah, Bones is here. We ate a late dinner. She brought over mac and cheese… To surprise me and Parker with enough for the next few days." He couldn't help but smile, so didn't even try to hide it.

Knowing she didn't really have to warn him, Rebecca simply smiled back and nodded. "Don't screw this up, Seeley, or our son will be heart-broken."

"He's not the only one," Booth admitted, knowing to heed the vague warning. "Don't worry, Becks. I plan on doing it right this time."

She reached out and hugged the man that she loved passionately at one time, but now thought of fondly, given their bond as parents. "Congratulations, Seeley. Give my best to Dr. Brennan. And tell her 'thanks' for making sure that Parker eats nutritious meals when he's with you." She joked, knowing that it was completely true. More times than not, Parker came home from his father's admitting to suddenly liking various vegetables and fruits because 'Bones says these will help make me smart'.

Booth returned her hug with a smile. "Thank you, Becks. Let me know what's going on."

Watching until she entered the elevator, Booth then turned back to his apartment and locked the door. He was in a rush to let Bones know what was going on, surely she was wondering, but as he entered the living room, he found his partner on the couch, holding his sleeping son on her lap, cradling him carefully.

Before he could speak, she started to explain. "He asked me why I was here, Booth, and said he was supposed to go to bed, but instead he climbed onto the sofa and then proceeded to crawl into my lap." She smiled wistfully, not at all minding the connection she felt with her partner's son. "I told him that I baked macaroni and cheese and brought over three containers and he seemed quite pleased, though I told him no, he can't have any for breakfast."

He smiled and leaned down, kissing her softly. "Thanks, Bones." He pulled back and started to scoop the boy into his arms. "I'll put him to bed and be right back out," he pointedly pinned her with a stare to make sure she wasn't going anywhere and when she nodded, he walked down the short hall. When he rejoined her, she was tucked into the corner of the couch, sitting on her legs with her wineglass in hand.

"Maybe I should go, Booth," her statement was half-hearted and semi-deflated, unsure of her place in his home at this point.

He sat on the middle cushion and reached for her wineglass, replacing it back onto the table beside his, then pulled her onto his lap, into much the same position that she'd been holding Parker. "I wish you wouldn't." He wouldn't beg her to stay, he didn't want to pressure her into anything that she didn't want, but he was loathe to watching her walk out that door.

"What if he asks questions, Booth? What are we going to tell him?" She stared at the hallway that led to his son's room.

"We'll tell him the truth, Bones. You always say it's best to be honest, why wouldn't we be honest in this situation?"

"I don't want to confuse him. I don't want him to think I'm trying to take you away from him."

"Bones, he's a smart kid. He loves you. He knows _I _love you. If he asks, we answer. But my bet is, the answer you already gave to him was all he needed. Otherwise he woulda still been asking you things instead of sleeping in your arms."

Brennan let her head fall against the strong shoulder of her partner and pressed her forehead to the side of his neck, bumping her nose against his prominent adam's apple. "I don't really want to go, Booth."

"Good, 'cause I don't want you to go, either, Bones." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and felt her body tremble as she stifled a yawn. "Sorry, do I bore you?"

She slapped his chest. "Of course not. But it is nearly 4 am, and I didn't get to sleep until almost 1 after I finished cooking… I'm just tired. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Bones. I'm just teasing you." He rested his cheek against the top of her head. "You'll stay with me tonight?" His voice was breathy and he closed his eyes in anticipation of her reply. "I mean, we don't have to do anything, but I'd love to have you sleep in my arms..." He was desperate to have her _completely_, but knew that their first time should be more special, more intimate, not when they have to worry about whether or not his son is going to hear them and end up knocking on the bedroom door wondering what all the noise was. Because something told him that his Bones was going to be a vocal lover.

She splayed her hand across his chest. "Yes, I'll stay…" She nuzzled uncharacteristically and pressed a kiss to her partner's neck. "But I don't have anything to wear to the game tomorrow, Booth. We'll have to stop at my apartment on the way..."

He chuckled at the fact that his partner was always thinking ahead...always rationalizing movements and actions. "Nuh-uh… I have a pair of your jeans and a t-shirt here still from that time we went berry picking and Parker and you got into the throwing match… You can borrow one of my jackets so you're warm enough tomorrow."

She smiled at the memory that she had almost forgotten about, it was so long ago. "That was a fun day, wasn't it, Booth?"

"Sure was, Baby," he kissed her hair once more, inhaling deeply to take in her scent.

"Don't call me Baby," her argument was weak at best.

"You'll get used to it… You got used to '_Bones'_." He grinned, slid his arm beneath her legs and stood, carrying her weight easily as he walked down the hall, letting her reach out and flip off the light switches as they passed. "I'll keep my pants on, but I can't sleep in a shirt, Bones. Just warnin' ya…"

"By all means, Booth, sleep however you're most comfortable… Don't change your habits for me." She grazed her fingertips along the line of short hairs at the back of his neck and felt him shudder at her touch.

He grinned slyly as he kicked the door closed quietly and flipped the lock. "Well, if you insist, Baby…"

**Postscript A/N**

**OK, so while my intention was to end this story at 2 chapters, as I outlined where I wanted the second chapter to go, my Muse had other ideas and determined that there would be a strong probability of a third and final chapter. Technically, I could end this here, but something tells me that you guys may demand a proper closure… Am I right? Don't leave me hanging… there is enough in the outline that I *could* crank out a final third chapter to this little beauty if you want…**

**As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. It means so much to get those little messages in my inbox telling me that someone out there is interested. **

**peace & love, my friends, **

**jazzy **


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